Kingdom Hearts: Reversal
by TheKnightofAwesome
Summary: Years after the story of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, a new threat has risen to challenge the balance of the worlds. Can the new generation of Keyblade wielders face it down, and restore peace?
1. Chapter 1: From Dust to Dust

The world was eerily quiet today. Nothing was different; there were the same people, the same sky, the same everything. However, the air was still, and not a sound could be heard in the meadow where Tarak and Shio stood. Tarak looked over at his older brother, Shio. By the look on his face, Tarak could tell that Shio could sense the abnormality as well.

"What do you suppose it is?" asked Tarak. He knew that Shio already knew what he was referring to.

"I don't know, Tarak. It could very well be nothing for all we know," replied Shio with an air of indifference. Then he looked over at Tarak and his face grew into a kind smile. "C'mon, we gotta get back home, Mom and Dad will be expecting us soon to celebrate."

Today marked Tarak's thirteenth birthday. His parents had been planning the party all week. Shio was only three years older than Tarak and stood at least five inches taller than him.

"Ok, let's go." said Tarak returning Shio's smile, while also moving the long brown hair out of his eyes. They walked together in silence as they reached the edge of the meadow, which became a small woods. The twigs and dead leaves on the ground crunched beneath their shoes. Tarak pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself to shield against the brisk air.

It didn't take them long to come out of the woods and come onto the sprawling city where they lived. Even though the city was big, it still had the feel of a small town. Tarak knew most of the local shop owners, and he had many friends throughout the city. Shio was just as popular as Tarak, if not more. Tarak guessed it was because their father was the mayor, but he also knew that it was more than that.

When they reached their house, their mother was already there to greet them. She ran up to Tarak and gave him a big hug.

"Welcome back!" she said. Then she turned to Shio. "Thanks for taking him out while we decorated."

"No problem, just happy to help," said Shio with a wide smile. They all walked inside together and saw firsthand the fruits of their parent's labor. The ceiling was covered by streamers and balloons. In the dining room, the table was covered by a colorful tablecloth, and party hats were placed before each seat. On a table off to the side, there were presents piled up and wrapped in paper of all different colors and patterns. Then all of Tarak's friends came into the room and wished him a happy birthday. Tarak's smile widened even more at the sight of them.

After that, the party went on for a few hours. Tarak received some nice things and was very happy to get them all. They all enjoyed games, good food, cake and ice cream, but like every party, it came to an end, and everyone went home. Tarak said goodbye to them all and thanked them for coming to celebrate with him. Tarak looked at the clock and realized that it was very late, so he decided to go upstairs to the room that he and Shio shared. He changed into his pajamas and sat down on his bed. A few minutes later Shio walked into the room.

"So, did you have a good day?" he asked. Tarak nodded and beamed up at his brother. Shio had always been there for him, he was Tarak's best friend.

"It was fun!" He said. He had already forgotten the strange feeling he had sensed when he and Shio were in the meadow.

"Well, it's not over yet. I've got one last gift I want to give you." said Shio walking over to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a two small boxes. "You can have either one, you pick, but you can only get one," he said. Tarak looked over both boxes, which fit easily into the palms of Shio's hands. After a moment of mulling it over, he took the one on the right, and opened it. Inside was a necklace. It was a chain, with a pendant made out of strange yellow shells. There were five shells in total, and they were fashioned to make a star shape. Tarak gazed at it in wonder.

"Did you make this?" he asked. Shio laughed.

"No, I bought it. It's something called a 'Wayfinder.' The legend says that when someone has a Wayfinder, they will always be connected to their friends. At least that's what the guy who sold them to me said. See, I bought two." As he said this, he opened the second box, revealing another Wayfinder made of white shells. "I wanted us each to have one, so that we'll always be connected. The salesman also said that he believed the legendary Keyblade master Sora carried one with him, so he could always find his way back to Kairi. If he used one, I figured we could too. I never want us to grow apart. You're my little brother, and I love you." Tarak put on the Wayfinder and gave Shio a hug.

"Thank you, Shio" said Tarak.

"Well then, I'd say it's about time we got some sleep," replied Shio. He turned out the light and sat down on his own bed, which was on the other side of the room. Tarak lied down as well and closed his eyes. They said good night, and soon both had drifted off to sleep.

Tarak awoke to a loud noise. He looked around trying to find the source, but none came into view. He wasn't even entirely sure that he had heard it. He rolled over and prepared to fall back to sleep, but before he could, he heard the noise again. Involuntarily, he felt for the Wayfinder Shio had given him, and was relieved to find it was still there.

"Shio? Did you hear something?" he called out in a hushed tone. When he received no reply he tuned on the light by his bed and looked over to where Shio was sleeping. "Shio?" he asked, louder this time. He walked over to the bed and saw that Shio's bed was empty, and his brother was no where to be found. Tarak guessed that Shio had gotten up, and perhaps it was Shio making the noise, so he ventured out into the hallway to investigate. He pulled on his robe and grabbed a flashlight that the boys kept in their room before he left.

Out in the hallway, Tarak moved silently, like a ghost. He didn't want to wake everyone in the house. He simply wanted to locate his brother.

Once again Tarak heard the strange noise, but it was clearer this time. It sounded like something 'scurrying' and it came from right next to him. The hall way was dark and Tarak couldn't see very well, so he shone the light onto where he thought the noise had originated from; however, he found nothing.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the night. Tarak gasped and turned around, looking for the screamer. He recognized the voice that belonged to his mother.

"Mother! I'm coming!" he called out. Her voice had been layered with fear, and Tarak knew that she was in some kind of danger. His heart was pounding in his ears, and his feet flew down the hall with such speed. His body was running on pure adrenalin, and his senses seemed to heighten because of it.

Again his mother screamed, but this time it was coming from downstairs, and Tarak could tell it was in the dining room of their house. Then, Tarak's father cried out. Tarak sprinted down the steps, taking them two at a time in order the close the distance between himself and his parents as quickly as he could.

When he finally reached the dining room, Tarak saw both his parents lying on the floor. Tarak fell to his knees at the sight of them.

"Mom? Dad?" he managed to choke out. Then a light shined on their chests, and orbs of light floated out from their bodies. When Tarak looked closer, he could see that the orbs were actually shaped like hearts. Tarak fell backward in shock. He had no idea what he was looking at. The hearts floated upwards, but then they were surrounded by a dark smoke, which then morphed and became solid. The smoke turned into small bug-like creatures. They stood on two twisted legs, and they hunched over in an odd manner. Their skin was pure black, and their eyes were a sinister yellow color. Their arms twitched every time they moved, and on top of their perfectly round head were two antennae, curled inward in a strange angled fashion.

At first they ignored Tarak, but within seconds, they turned on him, and began to advance with great speed. Tarak cried out in fear, and they jumped at him. Then before Tarak knew what was happening, a sword swished behind him, and the monsters vanished in a puff of smoke. Tarak looked behind him and saw Shio standing there. In each hand was a rapier that their father had used for decoration in the foyer.

"Shio! What's going on? Those were our parents!" cried Tarak.

"They weren't our parents anymore. They were taken by the Darkness, our whole world is being taken!" said Shio with a grim face. "Outside it's even worse. Everything is disappearing! Quick, take the sword! More of those things are coming, and we have to run!" Shio handed him the second blade, and pointed toward where their parents had been. Just as he said, more monsters were sprouting up from the shadows, preparing to attack the brothers.

Without hesitation, Tarak grabbed the second rapier and got to his feet. Together he and Shio slashed through the strange shadow monsters, and moved through the house.

"We have to get out of here. Hurry, before the Darkness consumes us!" shouted Shio over the scurrying of the monsters. Tarak stayed close to his brother, never straying too far from his side. They fought their way out of the house, and eventually found their way on their porch. Tarak gasped in surprise at what he saw.

The world around them was vanishing in what appeared to be dark smoke. Everything that Tarak had known and loved was gone, and what was left was their house floating in empty space. Above them was a dark orb, which seemed to be sucking their whole planet into its depths.

"Wha-what is _that_?" asked Tarak in awe.

"I don't know…" replied Shio, equally impressed. Before they could dwell on it too much their house began to move towards the dark orb. Tarak, stumbled, but managed to grab onto Shio and steady himself.

Shio grabbed Tarak's shoulders and got him to look into his eyes.

"Tarak…Tarak listen to me." He said urgently. "Our world is already lost, but it's not too late for us. You have your Wayfinder right? Good. Keep it with you, always, and one day we'll find each other again. If we don't come out the other side together, then know that I'll spend every day of my life searching for you, and I won't rest until we're reunited." Tarak felt his feet leave the ground. He held onto Shio, never wanting to lose the only person he had left in the world.

Tarak noticed his Wayfinder was glowing. He did not know why, but he also saw Shio's was glowing as well. Shio's feet were still firmly planted on the ground, and he clung onto Tarak with an iron grip. However, the force of the dark orb pulling on Tarak was too much and Shio's grasp began to slip. Within moments, Shio lost hold on his little brother, and Tarak was hurled into the void.

"Shio!" he cried out as he watched his brother disappear from view.

Tarak was now surrounded by Darkness, the Wayfinder was his only source of Light. Tarak felt numb, the last hour had completely drained him emotionally, and he wasn't even sure he could accept that it had really happened.

Tarak was convinced it had all been a nightmare, possibly brought on by too much cake at the party. He drifted through the Darkness, not caring what would happen to him. He felt no pain, so he figured he wasn't in any danger, even if it was just a dream. All Tarak could think of was Shio, and how he had left him alone on what was left of their home.

Suddenly, the Wayfinder tugged on Tarak's neck, and he felt himself being dragged. Tarak didn't mind, as he didn't feel discomfort at the charm pulling him. He figured it knew what it was doing, as all things seemed to do in dreams, and so he let sleep come over him once more.

Tarak felt the night breeze across his face. He slowly came back to consciousness, taking in the sounds around him. His eyes slowly blinked open, and he sleepily looked around. He seemed to be lying in the grass, but how he had gotten outside was beyond him. He sat up, and saw that before him was some kind of castle tower. It was tall but it was also slightly crooked, making Tarak wonder how it managed to stay standing. He turned himself, and saw that he was on a plateau of some form. Below him, the clouds swirled, and glowed purple. He could see strands of colored light off in the distance, but couldn't see what they were, if they were in fact anything at all.

"What a strange dream," he mumbled to himself.

"Unfortunately this in not a dream," said a deep male voice from behind him. Tarak gasped and turned back towards the castle. In the doorway stood a tall, elderly man. His eyes were fierce, but kind at the same time. His beard reached down towards his belt, and he wore a blue robe, with a pointed hat to match. On the hat were several yellow stars. He continued to speak. "Your world is gone, consumed by the Darkness. You were almost taken as well, but something brought you to me," he said.

"My...world is...gone?" Tarak asked in disbelief. "How...what...but," he stuttered. The old man raised a hand to silence him.

"It is a tragedy, but these things happen when a world's time has come to an end. It is the cycle of the worlds. Born from Darkness in the beginning, and then returned back to Darkness in the end. From my guess, you would be the only one who was spared,"

Tarak put his head in his hands, and rocked slowly with sobs.

"Come inside, we can discuss this more in my study," said the old man gently, holding out his hand to Tarak.

Tarak wiped his eyes and nodded, taking the man's hand and following through the tower. Tarak sobbed the entire way up to the top of the tower. The old man didn't seem to care, he simply held tighter onto Tarak's hand, as if to reassure him that everything would be alright.

When they reached the study, Tarak had managed to stop crying, and wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. The Wayfinder on his chest clinked quietly as it moved.

The old man walked behind the desk in the study, and sat in the throne-like chair behind it. Tarak stood before him, wondering what was going to happen.

"To start, let me introduce myself," began the old man. "My name is Master Yen Sid. I am a wizard, who has trained many Keyblade wielders over the years. I'm very happy that I met you Tarak, because it means that the new era is ready to begin,"

"New era?" asked Tarak, bewildered by the wizard's claim.

"Yes, you see, I foresaw our meeting, as well as the events that would follow shortly hereafter. In the coming years one man will attempt to claim power over the almighty force known as Kingdom Hearts. He will try to use it's power to get rid of the Darkness, and fill the worlds with Light. However, the worlds require the balance between Darkness and Light to survive, if the Darkness is wiped out, then everything will unravel and all will be lost. To stop this man, three Keyblade wielders will rise, and it will be their duty to bring balance back,"

"So...you think I'm one of the chosen Keyblade wielders?" asked Tarak.

"No," replied Yen Sid rather bluntly. Tarak looked down, somewhat disappointed. "However, you are essential to their quest, as you must be the one to find them and teach them," continued Yen Sid. "I will take you on as my student, and teach you the ways of magic and fighting, and then you will go forth and do the same with the Keyblade's chosen,"

Tarak looked up again, amazed at the proposition of Yen Sid. With such a destiny waiting for him, how could he possibly refuse?

"When do I start?" asked Tarak. Yen Sid simply smiled, knowing that a grand, new story was about to unfold before his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2: Time Passes

-six years later-

Mitsuko waved goodbye to her boss as she walked out of the door of the diner she worked at. It was around mid-afternoon and Mitsuko's shift had just ended. Even though the sun was still high in the sky, the orange buildings of Twilight Town gave off the illusion that it was late evening. Mitsuko had just turned eighteen, and was living alone in an apartment, as her parents had been killed by Heartless long ago. Mitsuko had been cared for, and managed to lead a fairly normal life despite what had happened to her. She enjoyed being her own person, and liked living alone, actually she preferred it.

Mitsuko was sort of a loner, never having too many friends, and too socially insecure to make any herself. The only person she really opened up to was her best friend, Twixt. That wasn't actually his name, his real name was Tristan. The two of them had known each other since birth, and when they were very little, Mitsuko would often mispronounce his name, calling him "Twixten". Eventually the nickname was shortened to just "Twixt" and it stuck. Now everybody called him Twixt, but he seemed to like the name anyway. When Mitsuko's parents died, it had been Twixt's family that had taken her in and cared for her, and Twixt's father was the one who gave her the job in the diner he owned. Mitsuko was forever in their debt, and would always be thankful for the kindness they had shown her in her time of need.

When she got to her small apartment, she stripped off her work uniform and changed into a dark blue tank top and a pair of white shorts. She pulled her hair out of it's clip and let it fall naturally to her shoulders. Her hair was a pretty color of platinum blond, but some people would argue that it was white. Either way she thought it went well with her blue eyes. Before walking out again, she slipped on some sandals that matched her outfit, and locked the door behind her.

Mitsuko made her way down to the Tran Common where she bought herself some Sea-Salt ice cream. She licked at the popsicle, as she walked through the streets. Eventually, she found herself in the sandlot, where she spotted Twixt sitting alone on a bench. His clothes looked rumbpled, as if he had thrown on the first thing he found before setting out. Twixt had blond hair as well, but it was more yellow and you could tell exactly what color it was. He appeared as if he was lost in thought. She sat down next to him, giving him a friendly smile.

"Hey, buddy," she said.

"Off work already?" he replied. Twixt wouldn't be allowed to work in the store until he was eighteen like Mitsuko. That was his father's rule. Twixt was still a year younger than her, and she knew he was very jealous that she got to work there before him.

"Yeah, just got off. What are you doing here all by yourself?" she asked.

"I dunno, just thinking,"

"What about?"

"I dunno,"

"How very profound!" she joked. Though she was shy with everyone else, Mitsuko found it very easy to open up to Twixt, he was like her brother. Twixt laughed at her joke, but didn't comment. Then one of the posters hanging nearby caught her eye.

"Hey, the Struggle is coming up soon! Are you gonna come with me?" she asked Twixt.

"Watch a bunch of muscle-heads beat each other senseless with foam swords to obtain colored balls and win a stupid belt? Thanks but no thanks," said Twixt rather bluntly.

"Aww, c'mon it'll be fun!" she pleaded.

"Mitsuko, you only wanna go because Jet is entered again this year, we both know that," Jet was the reigning Struggle champ for the past three years. He was the toughest guy in town, and although she wasn't open about it, Mitsuko had a small crush on him.

"No! We went to the Struggle every year when we were kids! Why did that stop?"

"It's the same thing every year. We both know Jet's gonna win, so why bother?"

"You're no fun anymore!" she teased giving Twixt a light shove.

They sat there for a while longer, not saying anything. Mitsuko finished her ice cream and threw the stick into a nearby trash can.

After sitting in silence for a while, they both stood up and decided to simply walk through the town. As they neared the path towards the Tram Common, Jet rounded the corner and began to walk towards them towards the sandlot. Over his shoulder he had a basic Struggle Club. He was wearing some light clothes, a black sleeveless shirt, some shorts, around his head was a sweatband, keeping his long black hair out of his eyes. he appeared as if he was going to work out.

"Hey guys," he said in a bored tone as he walked past Twixt and Mitsuko. Mitsuko averted her eyes, shyly. She didn't say anything, decideing she had better let Twixt handle all the talking.

"What are you up to?" asked Twixt, making polite conversation. Mitsuko wondered why Twixt would do this, she knew full well that Twixt wasn't very fond of Jet. She expecting him to just say "hello" or something, but not to engage Jet in conversation.

"Nothing, I'm just practicing for the Struggle. I have to stay in shape for the tournament. What about you two? On a date or something?" Mitsuko blushed at the word date.

"What? No! Mitsuko is like my sister. We're just hanging out," said Twixt, clearly taken aback by Jet's inquiry.

"Whatever, man. Relax. I gotta go. I'll see you around," said Jet walking off. Twixt and Mitsuko walked off, but Twixt seemed to be sulking a bit.

"What a jerk!" he said when they were out of earshot.

"Who, Jet?" asked Mitsuko.

"He thinks he's so cool! Just because he wins the stupid tournament every year! And he thinks he can just say if people are dating or not? And on top of that he seemed to treat us as if we were nothing! The only thing he cares about is the stupid Struggle! What do you see in that guy anyway?" he asked turning to Mitsuko.

"N-nothing, what are you talking about?" she asked, surprised by Twixt's behavior. He paid her no mind however, he just went right back to his rant.

"You know what? I've just made up my mind! I'm going to enter the Struggle this year! And you know what else? I'm going to win! That'll show Jet he's not so hot!"

"What? Twixt! You don't know the first thing about fighting!" said Mitsuko.

"All I have to do is swing a sword right? How hard can it be?" Mitsuko knew Twixt could be eccentric sometimes but this was ridiculous. There was no way he could ever compete against the sort of people who entered the Struggle.

However, before she could say anything, he was running off to put his name on the roster. Mitsuko hung her head. Twixt was out of his mind, but it was too late to change it. She ran after him, if he was going to do this she would at least support him. On the bright side, it gave her a reason to go to the Struggle now.

* * *

Meanwhile, in front of the clock tower at Central Station, a light began to shimmer, and a hooded figure materialized. His coat was dark, and zipped up, covering his entire form. The bottom part by his legs was unzipped as to allow him to move freely, and his pants were just as dark as the coat. His hood covered his face, and kept his identity a secret. The coat was a relic, given to the man by his master, to protect him from the Darkness on his travels. At his hip there was a sword, tucked away into a sheath. This too was a gift, and was a special sword made specifically for him.

The hooded figure looked up at the sky, and above his his vessel floated. It was a space craft, made for traversing between worlds, better know as a Gummi Ship. Yet another gift from his master. The Gummi Ship began to fade away into the clouds and out of sight. It would remain hidden until the hooded man needed it again.

"_Good, now people won't panic at the sight of it," _He thought to himself. The man crossed over to the edge of the platform, where he leaned against the wall and looked over the town, contemplating his next move.

"_Master said this would be a good place to look. But what are the odds I'll find them here? This entire mission is like looking for a needle in a haystack! Oh well, no point griping about it. I'm just wasting my time," _With that the hooded man walked down the road and set off to find the ones he had been trained to find all those years ago.

* * *

The late afternoon sun shone through the windows of the library on Radiant Garden. The town was thriving, and had regained it's former glory. The final stages of the Reconstruction Movement had finally ended some years ago, and the town now extended past the plains, and into the old castle that had once been inhabited by Heartless. It had taken so long, but that was due to the Movement's plan to expand the city. They had had to rebuild two castles, the existing parts of the town, and then on top of it, they had to build new sections of city where there had been wastelands before. People agreed it was a shame that most of the original "Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee" couldn't have lived to see their idea come to a close, but everyone agreed that it was a testament to their willpower that the project continued, and finally came into fruition even after they were dead and gone. To honor them, and the other heroes of Radiant Garden, there was a memorial built, in the plans where a great battle took place between the Restoration Committee and an army of Heartless. The monument was an arch, which went above the plains, and curved inward at points at the top, to make the arch appear like a giant keyhole. At the base of the monument, there was a plague, naming off all the warriors that fought there on that fateful day.

Over the years, great prosperity had come to Radiant Garden, and in theory, all should have been well. However, there was one person who a great tragedy had befallen, and her spirits were low because of it.

Kagami walked through the Radiant Garden library with a stack of books in her hands, carrying them to their rightful places on the shelves. Her face was vacant, as she had become numb from the emotional pain of what had happened. Her white lab coat, which signified her as an apprentice, trailed behind her. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, in order to keep it out of her face.

As she rounded a corner, one of her co-workers stopped her.

"Kagami? What are you doing here? Didn't the boss say you could take the week off?" he asked with kind sympathy.

"I don't want to just sit at home and dwell on what happened. I have to keep my mind busy," she said, her eyes falling to the floor. Earlier that week, Kagami's old teacher, and best friend, had been murdered by one of her fellow students. When Kagami was little, she had been orphaned, and was forced to fend for herself. She managed to get along by begging, but she was still always on the brink of death. Everything looked bleak for her until the day she was taken in by her Master, the man who had replaced Ansem the Wise after his unfortunate death. Kagami became an apprentice, and was taught in the ways of magic, combat, medicine, and metaphysics.

It only took the authorities a day to find and capture her master's killer, and he was now facing trail for his crimes. It was looking like he was facing a life in prison. Everyone had been happy about this outcome, but to Kagami, it wasn't enough. She wanted to see this man die for what he had done to her. The only problem was, that she had no sway in the judicial system, and could only watch the criminal rot in jail.

Kagami realized she had been ignoring the man in front of her, but had heard him say he was sorry for her loss, and that he hoped things got better.

"Thanks for the sentiment," she said in a dull tone. Kagami had never felt this miserable before, she had hoped that work would distract her, but it wasn't helping at all. She continued on her way, and into the 'Metaphysics' section to begin putting away books, when she was hailed by someone in the library.

She looked over and spotted the man who had called for her. She walked over to him, taking note of his interesting white hair, and golden coat, which came down to his feet.

"Yes?" she asked in the kindest tone she could muster.

"Hello, I'm seeking any information you have on...Kingdom Hearts," he said. Kagami wasn't surprised by his request. In fact, a lot of people were curious about the force known as Kingdom Hearts. The library where she worked was the only one in Radiant Garden with information on it, so she saw everyone who wanted to know more.

"Of course, actually I have a book right here," she said handing him one of the books she was carrying. "There are more in the reference section, and a few more in 'History' if you're looking into the recorded instances of battles fought over Kingdom Hearts," she said.

"Perfect," he said with a pleased smile. "But I also want something a little more specific. I want to know the ritual that one needs to preform to access Kingdom Hearts," Kagami paused. She had never heard such a request before. The books she had mentioned were usually enough to satisfy people's curiosity, but this man was asking something completely different.

"Why would you want that?" she asked trying to keep her voice from shaking. The man smiled again, but this time it was very sinister.

"I believe that Kingdom Hearts is the key to achieving a goal I hold very dear to my heart. I wish to eliminate the Darkness from this universe." Kagami felt her heart-rate accelerate. She wasn't sure what to make of this man anymore, clearly he was crazy.

"You see," he continued. "Kingdom Hearts is full of Light, and Darkness is the source of all sorrow in the world. If I can unleash the Light inside Kingdom Hearts, then all the Darkness will go away, and peace will reign forever!"

"Wh-why would you want to do that?" asked Kagami, she was too frightened to keep her voice steady anymore.

"Because, the darkness took away my family, and my entire world. I seek vengeance against it's evil," he replied. "But don't we all have a reason to hate the Darkness. I mean look at you Kagami. Your master was killed by a man who was filled with evil Darkness," Kagami gasped.

"How did you know that? How do you know me? Who _are _you?" she exclaimed.

"My name is of no importance, but I will tell you this. I cannot hope to unleash Kingdom Hearts by myself. So I'll make you a deal, Kagami. Your help, for the life of your master's killer," Kagami shuddered. If this man was for real, then that bastard that killed her master would die. It was too good to be true.

"Why do you want me?" she asked.

"Because, I know a lot about you. I know that you are skilled in magic and combat, I know that you have the knowledge of Kingdom Hearts that could make my mission a success, and I know that you already detest the Darkness. What better person could I ask for?"

Kagami smiled at the man, he might be crazy, but he knew what he was doing. She could already picture a universe free of Darkness, and how much better it would be. No more hate, no more violence, no more pain. And she would help bring it about, she would help shape the perfect new world.

**A/N: Ok so for formalities, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, seeing as this is fanfiction. Also I can't claim right to all characters used here. So, credits time: Shio belongs to Forever Soku, Mitsuko belongs to a good friend of mine not on this site, but online he mostly goes by by Herald of Prophecy, Twixt belongs to a friend from another site he goes by Angel there, and Kagami also belongs to Herald of Prophecy. Other characters will be given credit to when they have been introduced.  
**


	3. Chapter 3: The Struggle

It had been one week since Mitsuko had last seen Twixt. At first she had been worried about it, but when she brought it up to his dad at work, he said that Twixt had been busy, practicing for the Struggle. Mitsuko was Glad that Twixt was taking this seriously, but she didn't like spending all her time after work by herself. On occasion she would go to the sandlot and watch Jet practice, but with no one to talk to it started to get weird.

There had actually been one incident when Jet had asked Mitsuko to leave because she was making him uncomfortable with her just sitting there watching him. At the time Mitsuko had turned red, and ran away in embarrassment, but later she had wished she had explained herself and told Jet how she felt about him. However, she figured that might have made it all even more awkward, so perhaps it was best that she hadn't said anything after all.

With two days left before the Struggle matches Mitsuko decided to go to Central Station. She caught the first train to Sunset Terrace, and made her way up to Sunset Hill. Up there, she leaned against the wooden fence, and took in the view. Twilight Town really did have amazing scenery. The way the light from the sun brought out the colors of the buildings, and the way it mixed with the green of the hills, was just breathtaking.

She sat down, and set her bag down next to her. She was carrying a gift that she had gotten for Twixt. She had wanted to give it to him when she saw him, but since he was too busy to see her she hadn't gotten the chance.

Not long after she had arrived, Mitsuko heard footsteps from behind her.

"All by yourself?" asked Twixt.

"When am I not?" retorted Mitsuko.

"Fair enough," he replied sitting next to her.

"So, why aren't you training today?" she asked.

"I figured I could take a small break. That, and my mom kicked me out of the house when my dad said you'd been asking where I was," he laughed. Mitsuko smiled.

"Well, I've been lonely for a whole week!" she said in mock anger.

"And whose fault is that?" he retorted. "You could have been out making more than one friend, but no, you're just too shy," Twixt gave Mitsuko a light shove.

"Blegh, who needs people!" she said shoving him back.

They were silent for a bit after that, but Twixt quickly broke the silence.

"I heard you've been spying on Jet," he said. Mitsuko's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

"I wasn't… _spying!" _she said. "I was just…watching him,"

"Right, because that makes it less creepy," Twixt said with a laugh.

"Shut up!" cried Mitsuko. It was clear Twixt had crossed the line.

"Sorry…" he muttered, ashamed that he had made her this uncomfortable. Mitsuko looked away from Twixt and managed to compose herself.

"Whatever, it's fine…" she said. An awkward silence fell over the two of them. It was easy for Mitsuko to forgive Twixt. After all, he was her oldest and only friend, and she knew he hadn't meant any harm. He was just impulsive, and would sometimes do stupid things that he regretted. Hopefully the Struggle wouldn't be one of them. Thinking of the Struggle reminded her of Twixt's gift.

"Here, this is for you," she said to him, taking the small box out of her bag. On top of the box was a small red ribbon.

"What's this for?" he asked, confused by the sudden change of conversation.

"It _was _going to be for your eighteenth birthday, but I figure now's as good a time as any," she replied. Twixt opened the box, and inside were two necklaces. One had a pendant that looked like a sun, the other a crescent moon.

"What are they?" he asked.

"Good luck charms," she said cheerfully. "They represent the sun and the moon watching over you. I figure you'll need them now with the tournament coming up,"

Twixt put on the charms and put his arm around Mitsuko.

"Thanks, Mitz," he said. On occasion, Twixt had been known to call Mitsuko "Mitz". It wasn't often, but it was the little pet name he had given her.

Just then, the clock began to chime.

"Darn, it's getting late," said Twixt. "Maybe we should head back,"

And so they did. They caught the next train back to Central Station, where they parted ways. Twixt wanted to get back to training, and he figured he'd be busy with that until the tournament.

"You'll be fine, it's just two days," he said to Mitsuko.

"Doesn't make it any less boring," she retorted flatly.

"Well hopefully the excitement of the Struggle will make up for that," said Twixt with a smile. Mitsuko chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, hopefully. I guess I'll see you there,"

"Yep, see you," said Twixt. He started to walk away, waving goodbye over his shoulder. Mitsuko waved back and made her way back to her apartment, deciding to call it a night.

* * *

The next two days seemed to drag on for Mitsuko. After work, she would have nothing to do except buy some sea-salt ice cream, and wander through the town. She didn't go back to watch Jet anymore, now that she knew people thought it was creepy.

Finally the big day came. Everyone was excited, and energy seemed to pulse through the air. The diner that Mitsuko worked at was closed today, as were many of the other local shops. The sandlot had been converted into a makeshift arena, and stands were set up around the stage where the fights would take place.

On the stage there were eight competitors who had signed up for the Struggle. Among those eight were Twixt and Jet. Jet seemed cool and casual, he wasn't intimidated at all. Twixt on the other hand, looked tense, he was clearly freaking out. Mitsuko didn't recognize the other six men who had entered, but she could tell that Twixt wasn't going to have an easy time getting to the finals.

Then another man took to the stage. He was dressed casually, but he had a shirt labeled "Referee".

"Welcome, everyone, to the Struggle!" he announced. The crowd began to cheer, and clap their hands. "These eight gentlemen have gathered their courage and signed up for this years tournament," he began to name off all the competitors, but Mitsuko only recognized Twixt and Jet.

"Now then, we will begin with the preliminary matches, which will take the winners straight to the semi-finals!" Again the crowd began to applaud.

"The rules of the Struggle are as follows: Two fighters will be pitted against each other in a one minute match. Each will wear the full body padding which has the Struggle orbs," an example of the body armor was brought out. It appeared to be red foam pads, but it was covered in small colored orbs.

"The orbs will stick to the pads, but can be easily knocked off with the weapons that we will also provide. The object of the game is to acquire as many orbs as possible by the end of the match, whoever has more orbs wins!" the announcer continued.

They then began to announce the matches for the prelims. Twixt was placed in the second match, and Jet was placed in the fourth match. They wouldn't have to fight until the finals, assuming both made it that far. Everyone was given their own set of armor covered in the blue orbs, and their own Struggle club, with a yellow hilt and a blue foam club.

After everyone was suited up they left the stage except the two that were paired for the first match and the referee.

"We are now ready to begin the first match, so without further adieu… Let's Struggle!" said the announcer, everyone in the crowd joined in for the yelling out of "Struggle".

Mitsuko didn't pay much attention to the first match. She was more focused on Twixt and Jet, and reading their reactions. Jet was very good at remaining cool under pressure, Mitsuko couldn't read him at all. Although, that might have been due to the fact that she didn't know him personally at all. She could read Twixt like an open book, and could see just how nervous he really was.

Mitsuko then spotted something unusual on top of one of the nearby roofs. At first she couldn't make out what it was, but looking closer she saw it was a man in a dark black coat. His face was covered by a hood, and Mitsuko could not tell who the man was.

As she was looking at him, the hood seemed to shift, and she could tell that the figure was looking back at her. In that moment, a mixture of fear and wonder swept over Mitsuko, and her body tensed. She quickly averted her eyes back to the fight, where one of the competitors was brutally beating down his opponent.

After a minute, Mitsuko looked back to where the figure had been, but he seemed to have disappeared. Mitsuko checked the other, nearby rooftops, but he wasn't there either.

Around her, the crowd began to chant the final countdown for the match.

"Five…Four…Three…Two…One!" they said in unison. The buzzer rang, and both fighters stopped. The referee walked out, held up the hand of one of the fighters, and announced him the winner. The winner's armor was adorned with many of the small orbs, so Mitsuko didn't doubt he was a tough one to beat. The two fighters left the stage, and made way for the second fight.

Twixt and his opponent stood up and began to make their way towards the referee. As he walked over, Twixt looked up at Mitsuko, and she gave him a thumbs up to show she was rooting for him all the way.

When he got to the referee, he shook hands with his opponent, and accepted his Struggle club from the ref.

"Keep it clean, and may the best man win," said the ref. Twixt nodded, as did the other fighter. They took a few steps back, and got into a fighting stance. Twixt was crouched down low, with the club out to his side, and both hands on the hilt. Mitsuko couldn't help but think he looked a little ridiculous.

"And…Begin!" shouted the announcer, and the starting buzzer went off.

Twixt ran at his opponent, and took a swing at his lower right side. The other fighter deflected Twixt's club with his own, and followed through to land a solid hit on Twixt's exposed torso. Twixt fell backwards, as orbs flew off of his pads, rolling all over the stage. Twixt managed to recover quickly, and get back to his feet, but his opponent was already scooping up handfuls of orbs and sticking them to his own pads.

Twixt grabbed a few of the orbs closer to him and stuck them back to his armor. He then began to run at the other fighter again, who took a swing at Twixt to fend him off. Twixt managed to sidestep the club, and took the opportunity to land a hit on his opponent's side.

The second fighter recovered, and began to attack Twixt. Twixt was managing to block most of the attacks, which Mitsuko found very impressive, but he wasn't able to black all of them. Orbs were flying everywhere, but they weren't all Twixt's. When he found the opportunity, Twixt would strike back, and he was able to make some solid hits.

There was a ferocity in Twixt's eyes that Mitsuko had never seen before.

Then, Twixt deflected his opponent's sword, and sent it flying out of his hand and across the stage. Twixt used this opportunity to strike at his defenseless opponent. He began to land hits all over the poor man's body.

Twixt raised the club one last time, and using both hands, hit the second fighter square in the chest, sending him falling to the ground. He landed on his back with an audible thud. He didn't get back up.

With his opponent down, Twixt began to scoop up the fallen orbs, sticking them to his armor.

And then the countdown began.

"Five…Four…Three…Two…One!" chanted the audience. The buzzer rang, and everyone cheered, as Twixt was named the winner of his first match. Mitsuko let out a cheer, the first one of the entire match. She tended to stay quiet, even during matches. Her sudden outburst caused the people around her to turn around, surprised.

Twixt shook the hand of his opponent, and they both walked off the stage to make way for the next round. Mitsuko left her seat, and ran off to congratulate her friend. Twixt had moved himself off, away from the crowd. Mitsuko gave him a big hug when she finally reached him.

"Where did _that _come from?" she asked.

"I told you, I've been training," he replied smiling. He seemed to be a bit out of breath, which was understandable.

"But still!" she said.

"It wasn't easy," he agreed. "And it's only gonna get harder from here,"

"You think you'll make it to the finals?" she asked.

"I dunno. I guess I'll just stick it out as long as I can," he replied solemnly. Mitsuko nodded.

Then the third match ended, leaving Jet's match as the last one of the prelims. Then it was the semi-finals.


	4. Chapter 4: The SemiFinals

Mitsuko decided to stay by Twixt during Jet's match, she didn't see any need to go back to her seat anyway. However, she couldn't stop herself from smiling, seeing as Twixt was still wearing his armor. He looked very silly indeed.

"This padding is so hot!" he exclaimed.

"Well, you can't take it off until after the struggle is over, so tough it out," replied Mitsuko with a big smile. Twixt rolled his eyes, knowing he wasn't going to find any sympathy with her.

"You know, I think there might have been something to those good luck charms you gave me. I have them on under this armor." Said Twixt.

"Really?" asked Mitsuko.

"Yeah. You're a good friend, have I told you that?"

"Not recently,"

"What a shame,"

"Don't be so hard on yourself,"

"Actually, I meant Jet's opponent," said Twixt indicating the stage. Mitsuko followed his gaze, and saw what he meant. The other combatant looked like he knew less about fighting than Twixt did. Jet would eat the poor guy alive.

"Who knows it might be an act. You know, to try and lure Jet into a false sense of security?" suggested Mitsuko.

"Could be. If it is, he's doing a damn good job," replied Twixt, his eyes fixated on the stage. Jet stepped up next, and the announcer introduced them. Jet was facing off against someone named Jackson. The announced started the match, and the countdown began. Turns out Jackson wasn't acting at being afraid. He was beaten down. Horribly. The match ended early, not because of a ring out, but because Jet beat Jackson into unconsciousness. After Jackson was carried out on a stretcher, Mitsuko looked over at Twixt. He was white as a sheet, and his eyes were as big as saucers.

That look changed in an instant though, and became one of rage.

"He didn't have to fight that rough!" he exclaimed. "He could tell he had a weak opponent! Why did he do that!" With that Twixt stormed off.

"Twixt, wait! Where are you going?" Mitsuko yelled after him. When he didn't answer she ran after him. Twixt pushed his way through the crowd, and Mitsuko followed in his wake.

"Jet!" Twixt called out. It didn't take Mitsuko long to figure out what Twixt was going to do. He was going to confront Jet. Mitsuko ran a little bit faster, trying to catch Twixt before he could do something that would either get himself hurt, or disqualified.

Finally she caught up to him, mostly because Twixt had stopped running. They were in the alley behind the sandlot, just under the tracks. But they weren't alone. Jet was there with three other people. Jet appeared to be very angry with them.

"You think that was funny?" he was yelling. Jet sounded very angry. "You put your friend in danger over a _bet? _If I had known he wasn't a serious fighter, I wouldn't have fought that hard! I could've done a lot worse damage than that! You're lucky I didn't! This is _your_ fault, and if you try to pull something like this again, I'll personally beat the living crap out of you!" After his rant, Jet stormed off, Mitsuko could hear him muttering something about the bet the three other men had made.

"What just happened?" Mitsuko asked Twixt.

"I dunno, maybe we should ask Jet?" he suggested. "We still have a few minutes before my next match," Mitsuko nodded and followed Twixt back the way Jet had gone.

It took them a minute, but they eventually caught up with him.

"Jet!" Twixt called out when they spotted him. He was standing on the outskirts of the crowd watching the stage. He acknowledged that he had heard them, but didn't greet them.

"What do you two want?" he asked in a grumpy tone. Mitsuko wasn't sure why, but she found Jet to be very cute when he was steamed. Maybe it was because it gave him that real "bad boy" edge. Then again she wasn't sure why _that _was attractive either.

"We kinda heard your little…fight a minute ago, we want to know if everything's alright," said Twixt. Mitsuko could never read just how Twixt felt about Jet, one minute he would be angry at him, the next he was making civil conversation, as if they were long time best friends.

"Hrmm," he grunted. "Those morons placed a bet against their buddy, then forced him into the ring against me to make a quick buck. They knew I would beat him. I didn't realize he wasn't a fighter until after I had knocked him out. When I found out he was forced into it, I snapped," he said. Mitsuko was impressed. Jet clearly had a good heart under all that macho attitude. He was definitely something else.

Just then, the announcer came over the loudspeaker, telling everyone that the next match would begin soon.

"You'd better get moving, Twixt," said Jet. Twixt and Mitsuko began to move away, but Jet stopped them. "Just…do me one favor. Get to the finals," Twixt didn't say anything, he nodded and he and Mitsuko went back to the stage.

Twixt would be facing off against someone named Kris, but Mitsuko didn't recognize his opponent at all. Kris looked tough, Twixt was going to have a hard time with this one.

Mitsuko took note of Jet, who seemed to take a special interest in this match. She wondered why he wanted to face Twixt in the finals. She decided not to worry about it, now she only wanted to focus on the match at hand.

The countdown started, and the announcer cleared the stage. Twixt made the first move. Taking his opponent by surprise, he struck Kris in the stomach, knocking a few orbs free. While Kris gasped for air, Twixt did a shoulder roll and collected the fallen orbs, getting back to his feet in a matter of seconds.

However, Kris didn't stay out of commission long. When he composed himself, he charged at Twixt. Twixt was sent to the ground without the need of the club. Orbs spilled all over the stage.

Mitsuko was floored by the strength that Kris possessed. In just one hit he had freed roughly half of the orbs in Twixt's possession.

Twixt rolled onto his hands and knees. He was gasping for air, and seemed to be very disoriented. However, Kris didn't let Twixt rest for long. He took the club and bashed Twixt on the back, sending him down onto his stomach. A few more orbs rolled across the stage, but Kris wasn't interested in the orbs, he seemed only bent on beating Twixt into unconsciousness, just like Jet had done to Jackson.

"Twixt! Get out of there!" she screamed. Normally all she would have done was cheered, never spoken or yelled anything. Almost as soon as she yelled, she shrank back, almost as if she was ashamed she had said anything at all.

Twixt seemed to hear her. He looked up in the direction of Mitsuko, and then realized that Kris was going in for another swing. Twixt moved faster than Mitsuko had ever seen him move before. He managed to maneuver himself away from Kris' attack. Unfortunately, his leg was still clipped, but that injury was not as bad as it could have been.

Twixt managed to finally get to his feet, But he seemed weaker now. Kris' attacks were taking their toll. Twixt was now standing on the edge of the stage, with his back to the audience. Kris wasn't happy that his prey escaped, and he charged at Twixt. Mitsuko gasped, and covered her mouth with her hands. Right before Kris was upon him, Twixted sidestepped, and got out of the way. Kris went right past him, and fell off of the stage.

The buzzer rang, and the announcer came over the loudspeaker.

"Ring out! Tristan is the winner of this match!" he said. Mitsuko cheered along with the rest of the crowd. Twixt looked just about exasperated.

When Kris heard that he had lost, he punched the ground, but got back onto the stage and shook Twixt's hand.

"_At least he's a good sport."_ Thought Mitsuko.

Twixt was indeed exasperated. He had never been quite so tired in his entire life. He was still shaken by the fact that Mitsuko had actually called out to him the way that she had. She was never that animated in public. At least she was rooting for him. His whole involvement would be pointless if she just kept rooting for Jet. He just wanted to show her that there were better people out there for her than guys like Jet.

Then again, after what he saw in the alley, he wasn't sure if he had Jet pegged the right way. Jet may be just another muscle head, but his heart was in the right place.

Now that the match was done all he wanted to do was sit down, rest, maybe down a potion or two, and just wait for the finals.

The finals! He had actually made it this far! A newcomer like him had beaten two veterans, and made it to the finals!

The announcer came over the loudspeaker and said that Jet's match was about to start, so Twixt got off the stage and took his place next to Mitsuko.

Mitsuko congratulated Twixt on his victory when he returned. She was happy that he had made it to the finals, but now she wasn't sure who to root for. Sure, Twixt was her best friend, but Jet was sure to win his next match, and he was her secret crush after all. She guessed she could just go back to being quiet, and hope for the best, whatever that was.

Jet took the stage and faced down his next opponent, a guy named Fyn. Fyn wasn't as big as Kris had been, but he seemed just as capable at winning a fight.

"Aaaaaaand, Begin!" shouted the announcer. The timer started ticking down, and Jet and Fyn charged at each other. Neither seemed like they were going to bother defending, they were both on the offensive. Attack after attack flew by, orbs were flying in all directions. Neither fighter seemed to be slowing down either. It was as if they didn't feel the others blows.

The entire match went on this way. When time was winding down, Jet looked at the clock and saw he had only ten seconds, he also saw that both combatants had dwindled each other down to zero orbs each.

For a split second Jet caught Fyn's eyes, and in an instant, they charged for the scattered orbs. They began to grab them one by one, sticking them to their armor.

"Five…Four…" the crowd started to chant. Seeing he had only one move, Jet threw himself onto a small pile of orbs.

"One!" the crowd screamed. The buzzer rang, and the announcer came back out.

"What a thrilling match! We'll have to count those orbs to determine the winner!" he said. He went to Fyn first, and counted the orbs he had managed to grab.

"Fyn's orb count is at fifty orbs even. Now onto Jet!" said the announcer. He made his way over to Jet, who had since gotten to his feet.

Mitsuko was holding her breath out of sheer anticipation. She looked over at Twixt and saw he was just as enthralled in what was happening.

The announcer turned back to the audience.

"Jet's count is at…" he paused for suspense. "Fifty-one! I give you the next finalist, Jet!" The crowd cheered, Jet had managed to skate by on one orb. It would have been such an upset if he hadn't made it to the finals this year. He was the three year reigning champ after all.

"Jet's one heck of a fighter," said Mitsuko. "You sure you can win?"

"I'm gonna try," replied Twixt. He knew going into this that it was going to be tough, so Mitsuko guessed he was prepared to lose if it came to that.

"You made it this far on a weeks training, maybe you actually have what it takes to win," she said.

"Thanks, Mitz," he said putting his arm around her and giving her a squeeze.

There was going to be a ten minute intermission between the semifinals and the finals, so Mitsuko pulled Twixt aside and bought him a potion to replenish his strength. It was permitted, if not encouraged, that Strugglers used potions in between bouts. It made for better fights if each combatant was at full health.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mitsuko spotted Jet, who was drinking a potion himself. When he saw Twixt, he made his way over to the two of them.

"You really are something else, aren't ya, Twixt?" He said.

"So, we finally get to fight each other. Scared?" Twixt retorted.

"As if! I'm the three year champ for a reason!"

"First time for everything."

"Guess we'll see then. But don't expect any miracles," With that Jet walked off.

"I don't know what you see in that guy," Twixt said to Mitsuko.

"W-What? I don't know what you're talking about!" she exclaimed. She had no idea how Twixt could read her, then she remembered the stalking that took place earlier that week. She blushed at the thought of it.

"Whatever, just go get ready for your match," she said. Then, walking off to take her seat, she left Twixt by himself.


	5. Chapter 5: Discovery

Twixt took to the stage. He was doing his best to remain composed, but inside he was shaking like a leaf. The Struggle club was held so tightly in his hand that his knuckles had turned white. He looked off into the crowd and spotted Mitsuko in her seat. For a split second he wondered who she would be rooting for. He shook off the thought; she would be rooting for him, her best friend. Wouldn't she? She had the crush on Jet, but would that fact alone be enough to cause her to not support him? He decided he'd best not worry about it. He had to focus on the match at hand. Jet was strong to say the least, if Twixt didn't give it his all, he'd be knocked flat in a matter on seconds.

Jet got on the stage as well, and the two of them stood facing each other. The referee began to announce the beginning of the Finals. However, Twixt wasn't paying attention to him, he was trying his best to read Jet. Jet was clearly surprised Twixt had made it this far, Twixt could see it in his eyes. But he was also impressed, like he understood that Twixt deserved to be the one standing here, opposite him.

Then, Twixt was snapped out of his focus by everyone calling out "Let's Struggle!" In an instant, Jet was upon Twixt. He took a swing at Twixt's side, but Twixt parried and danced away from him.

Composing himself, He waited for Jet's next move. Jet didn't hesitate to attack again. He swung for Twixt's stomach, but Twixt jumped back, and countered, striking Jet in the shoulder.

The orbs spilled across their feet, but neither made a move for them, as it would open them to attack. Twixt took another swing at Jet, but Jet swung at the same time. Their clubs caught each other, both fighters tried to overtake the other. Twixt tried to push back on Jet. If he could get Jet to stumble, maybe it would buy time to collect the fallen orbs. However, Jet proved to be formidable in terms of strength. He pushed back on Twixt just as hard as Twixt was pushing on Jet. They were caught in this stalemate for a few seconds, before Twixt finally shifted his weight sending Jet tripping backwards.

Although this was a minor victory for Twixt, it wasn't enough to allow him time to grab the orbs. Jet was coming at Twixt nonstop with everything he had. It was all Twixt could do to stay on the defensive, and keep away from Jet's attacks.

Then Twixt took a chance. Jet was charging at him once again. Jet was aiming high this time, so Twixt ducked under his club and jabbed Jet in the stomach with his own. Jet crouched forward, wheezing in surprise. Twixt took the opportunity to hit Jet in the back, releasing more orbs.

With Jet temporarily stunned as he was trying to regain his breath, Twixt went around grabbing the orbs that had been spilled. He was now at a good lead, if he could just keep this pace up, he might stand a chance of actually winning! For a moment, he almost let himself be carried away by the fantasy of being the champ, but he reminded himself that he needed to remain focused on the battle at hand.

Jet came running at Twixt for his next onslaught. He swung at Twixt maliciously. Never pausing in between hits. Twixt managed to block the first two, and just barely dodge the third, but Jet had much more experience under his belt, and he was keeping Twixt at bay, not leaving room for any counter attacks. Before Twixt could react, Jet aimed his club for Twixt's leg. The impact, sent Twixt to his knee, which spilled a few orbs, not enough for him to lose his lead, but losing orbs was still a bad thing. The next attack was aimed right for his head.

Thinking quickly, Twixt shoulder rolled out of the way. He had dodged the attack, but that's all that Jet needed in order to collect the fallen orbs. While Jet was collecting, Twixt got back on his feet, but cringed as a jolt of pain went up the leg Jet had hit. It wasn't broken, maybe sprained at worse, but it was tender and that made it hard to fight on.

"_Great just what I needed,"_ he thought to himself. Still, despite this setback, he was determined to fight. He hadn't come this far to give up because his leg hurt. However, being forced to keep most of his weight on one leg proved to be terrible for his balance, which meant it would be harder to fight back and block attacks. It would also slightly reduce his speed; meaning dodging would be harder too.

When Jet finished his collection, He stood up and faced down Twixt. Both tried to size the other one up. Twixt needed to find a way to get more orbs off of Jet. He needed a more comfortable lead. They began to circle around each other, looking for an opening. Twixt was doing his best to hide his hurt leg, and he was actually doing a fairly good job of it. It wasn't hurting as badly as he had originally anticipated.

Jet's sudden docile nature was off putting for Twixt, seeing as Jet had been extremely aggressive previously. It occurred to Twixt that maybe Jet saw him as a viable threat now, and that he was trying to conserve orbs just like he was. This was a little odd to Twixt. He had no skill in fighting, only brute strength. He had skated by the last fights on luck basically. He was not a real fighter, but then again neither was anyone else in the town. Maybe he really _was _capable of taking the title.

Jet took a step forward, and Twixt raised his club higher on pure reflex. However, Jet did not charge like he expected. Twixt glanced at the clock, time was winding down. They had maybe less than a minute. Maybe he could win by just avoiding taking any more hits in that time. Jet seemed to catch on to this way of thinking though. Before Twixt could fully comprehend what was happening, Jet was charging again. Twixt focused solely on running now. He sidestepped out of the way of Jet's initial attacks, managing to keep all of his orbs.

Jet was becoming more and more anxious he could tell. Jet's attacks were beginning to become more desperate, not as calculated as they had been in the past. Twixt started to back up, dodging each swing to the best of his ability. The clock was winding down, there was maybe thirty seconds left. Twixt still had more orbs, if he could just get the timer to hit zero he would win.

Ten seconds. Twixt took another step back, almost getting grazed by Jet's club. Five. Twixt's foot caught the edge of the stage, and suddenly his blood ran cold. Three. Twixt lost his balance and fell backwards off of the platform. Two. He landed on the ground. Hard. It knocked the wind out of him, and all he could do was stare up at Jet in stunned silence. One. The referee called "Ring Out" and declared Jet the Champion once again.

The crowd erupted into cheers. It was deafening, but Twixt barely heard it over the thumping of his own heart. Twixt was completely dumbfounded. He had lost. With only one second to spare. He could not have had worse luck even if he tried. But he got to his feet. Getting back onto the stage, he took Jet's hand and shook it firmly to show he was at least a good sport about it. Actually he wasn't all that sour, yeah it was a stroke of bad luck, but at least he had gotten to the finals, that was nothing to sneeze at, so he had made his point. He applauded with the crowd when Jet was given the trophy and the belt.

_What am I going to do now? _He couldn't help but wonder. With no more need to train, he guessed he would just return to life as normal, but with summer still not over yet, that seemed like a boring prospect. He had already finished the summer's homework, so all he could do was sit around and wait for Mitsuko to get off work. That would be boring.

Well, it was what it was, so Twixt decided he had better make the most of it.

Mitsuko made her way through the crowd toward Twixt. People were all around him, congratulating him on a job well done. Finally, Mitsuko managed to get over to Twixt. When he saw her, his face broke out in a big smile, despite his loss. Mitsuko returned the smile, and gave him a hug.

"You did good!" she said in his ear.

"Haha, thanks." He laughed. "Hey, let's get out of this. Crowds are annoying," Mitsuko nodded and followed him to the desk where he turned in his armor. He was allowed to keep the club as a keepsake. Sort of a consolation prize for losing in the finals.

The walked together out of the sandlot and out towards the Tram Common. The area was deserted, it seemed like everyone was still at the sandlot. Twixt and Mitsuko were all alone.

"So, are you happy this is all over?" she asked Twixt.

"It's bittersweet, I guess," He said. "Why, are you happy?"

"Why would _I _be happy?" she asked taken aback.

"Well, I imagine your life is pretty boring without me," he said with an air on nonchalance.

"Please! I can have fun on my own!" she said in mock irritation.

"Oh yeah? Then what have you been up to all week?" he challenged. Mitsuko remained quiet, and kept walking, pretending she hadn't heard him. However, Twixt saw right through her and laughed. That changed when he glanced over his shoulder. Mitsuko turned and followed his gaze. Jet was making his way over to them, trophy in one hand, struggle club in the other, and the championship belt slung over his shoulder.

"Hmm, He's probably here to rub his victory in my face!" Twixt grumbled under his breath.

"Shut up, you sore loser," said Mitsuko. Twixt responded by giving her a betrayed look. Honestly, Twixt's opinion of Jet switched so much she could swear he had multiple personalities, one that hated him, and another that tolerated him.

When Jet got over to them, he set down the trophy and held out his hand towards Twixt.

"What are you getting at?" asked Twixt eyeing Jet's hand suspiciously.

"You put up a great fight, you deserve to be congratulated properly," said Jet. After a hesitant second, Twixt took Jet's hand and shook.

"Thanks" he muttered.

"You gave me a run for my munny, that's not easy to do," Jet continued. "You should be proud of how well you've done."

Before Mitsuko knew what was going on, Twixt seemed to snap.

"Why are you even bothering with this?" He said in almost a growl. "You've never given either of us the time of day before. Why now?" Jet was taken aback, just like Mitsuko.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jet, sincere confusion in his voice.

"I'm talking about how you walk around this town like a cocky, arrogant prick! You make me sick! All because you can beat a few people up. That's why I did any of this at all! To knock you down a few pegs, to show you you're not as great as you think you are! And I can't even do that!"

Jet's gaze hardened, and he clenched his fists.

"You don't know what you're talking about. You naïve fool. You shouldn't speak if you're going to make an idiot of yourself. I thought you were something special, a good hearted person, ready to become a man. But you still have so much to learn,"

Before Twixt could retort, a shadow rose out from behind Mitsuko, and made a dash for her. Only Jet saw it.

"Look out!" he cried, pushing Twixt aside and grabbing Mitsuko out of the way before she could be hurt. With his free hand, he used the struggle club to take a swing at the Heartless. He made contact with its head, and it was thrown backwards. At first it was a single Shadow, but soon several more showed up.

Jet pushed Mitsuko back over to Twixt.

"First lesson, If you want to keep your friends safe, you gotta be willing to fight to protect them!" he cried. "Now put aside your petty hate and _help me!_" Twixt didn't hesitate to raise his own struggle club and jump into the fray. Issues or not, the Heartless were a threat to everyone, and needed to be stopped. He didn't like it, but he fought side by side with Jet, and in fact they were very good at fighting with each other. Even though, they didn't seem to be doing much damage, they were keeping the Shadows at bay.

However, due to the Struggle, both Jet and Twixt were starting to lose their strength. It didn't take long before the Heartless got the upper hand.

The Shadows separated Jet and Twixt, not allowing them to watch each other's backs. While Jet was preoccupied with two Heartless, Twixt was knocked to the ground. His arm was bloody, and his eyes were only half open. It was all he could do to hold his club in front of him, weakly.

Mitsuko wasn't about to sit there and let her friend die though. She ran as fast as she possibly could, jumping in front of her friend, arms outspread eagle.

"M-Mitsuko?" Twixt gasped out. "Get out of here! It's not safe!" But Mistuko ignored Twixt. One Shadow leaped at them both, claws outstretched, ready to make a kill. Mitsuko crossed her arms in front of her, in a protective manner.

"Leave us alone!" she cried. Right before the Heartless could touch her, there was a flash of white light, and suddenly her right hand felt heavier. She opened her eyes a bit, and saw that the Heartless had been knocked back by something. Then she saw the sword in her hand.

It was a dazzling gold, with a swirled hilt. There were traces of blue in the hilt as well, that looked like ribbons tied into the gold. The blade was sharp, and jagged teeth protruded from the end. From the hilt, a chain was dangling, with some kind of charm on it. It looked sort of like a butterfly.

Mitsuko had never used a sword before, but it didn't take a genius to figure out she should just swing at the Heartless. However, before she could attack any nearby Heartless, a figure dropped down from above. His face was hidden under his dark hood, and in his hand he held a sword. Mitsuko took notice of how his blade was on fire.

"Girl! Use the Keyblade to destroy the Heartless!" the mysterious figure commanded. He didn't have to tell her twice. Together, they took out the remaining Heartless. It was almost nothing to Mitsuko, the sword she held was obviously very powerful, but before she could examine it further it disappeared in a flash of light.

Mitsuko looked over to Jet, who was scanning the area for more Heatless, thankfully none came.

"Are you O.K?" she asked.

"I think so, you?"

"Yeah,"

"Who's that?" asked Jet, indicating the hooded figure who was approaching Twixt.

"I don't know, but he saved us, so I don't think he's a danger." That was until he raised his sword at Twixt. Mistuko was already running at the man at full speed.

"Stop!" she cried, fear and anger mixing into her voice.

"Cure!" said the hooded figure. And just like that, green leaves appeared above Twixt, floating down around him. As they touched his skin, the blood dried up and vanished, and the cuts healed instantly. Mitsuko stopped in her tracks when she saw this. This man knew magic.

"W-Who are you?" she stuttered.

The man turned to her, his face still unseen behind the darkness of his hood. He put his sword back into a sheath around his waist. Then with his other hand, he took off his hood, revealing his face. His long brown hair fell down over his shoulders.

"My name is Tarak. And you, are one of the Keyblade's chosen," he said.

**A/N: Like me on facebook at TheKnightofAwesome for updates among other things. Happy Halloween!**


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